In the Land of Women (2007)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

So much average

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Carter Webb (Adam Brody), a young, attractive writer of softcore porn films, is at a restaurant one day when his equally young and famous girlfriend Sofia (Elena Anaya) reveals that she no long wants to see him, sending his life into an utter tailspin. Hopeless and out of options, Carter goes to spend time at his grandmother Phyllis's (Olympia Dukakis) home in Michigan, in a move which he feels will help him escape the deadline pressures of Los Angeles and ostensibly irreparable heartbreak. Across the street from Phyllis are three women: a single mother named Sarah (Meg Ryan), who is potentially suffering from breast cancer, and her two college-age daughters Paige and Lucy (Makenzie Vega and Kristen Stewart).Carter's plan for a quiet, restful vacation becomes disrupted when he realizes that as long as he's in Michigan, his stay will be dominated by females, particularly Lucy, whom he takes a liking to early on in his stay. Lucy is a lanky and slightly rebellious young woman, looking for her way in life and sees Carter as an older, more intelligent soul than herself. Despite this, Carter winds up connecting with the whole family, discovering Sarah's potentially cancerous breast lump and realizing that suffering is often the precursor to finding comfort in life and one's situation.This is the story of In the Land of Women, the first cinematic effort by Jon Kasdan, who would later go on to write and direct the incredibly natural and almost poetic romantic comedy The First Time. This effort, however, exhibits the tired old tropes of the genre, featuring a mopey, half-baked lead and an equally sulky, undeveloped love interest who, against all odds, find one another whilst experiencing personal tragedies. I could totally buy this story if Kasdan gave the characters the least bit of credible development, heart, and dialog. Instead, Carter, Lucy, Phyllis, and the majority of the characters here are shells of what they should be, and wit very few meaningful or dialog-driven scenes taking place, it's hard to find any kind of substance in these characters whatsoever.Films like this are hard to make work on a level that doesn't seem either self-serving for the respective writer/director or just privileged people bitching and moaning. Not long ago, I watched a film called Language of a Broken Heart, which, amidst a great deal of clichés and character generalizations, did one thing tremendously and that was detail a character who felt he had to be loved by someone or in a relationship in order to be successful; he couldn't function on his own and needed somebody by his side to encourage, love, and hold him. That is usually one detail that finds a way to disappear from the modern romantic comedy but Language of a Broken Heart dared focus on that element when few others did. Furthermore, a film like Wish I Was Here, Zach Braff's sophomore effort following his directorial debut Garden State (a film this finds itself similar to in why it doesn't work), which was predicated on smarmy humor, sarcastic and quick-witted dialog, and a surprisingly emotional climax.In the Land of Women detaches itself from all things character and emotional, leaving a film that tries to get by with lackluster, empty characters and unremarkable performances. The actors on display here, from Brody to the proved-capable Stewart, are starved for material that services them better than a screenplay as empty as this one. Kasdan seems to have a serious fascination with random encounters and almost divine occurrences, and these ideas have made for fantastic films. However, especially with this genre, which often has its writer/director walking on eggshells throughout the entire project, the bare basics for storytelling isn't going to cut it.Starring: Adam Brody, Meg Ryan, Kristen Stewart, Makenzie Vega, Olympia Dukakis, and Elena Anaya. Directed by: Jon Kasdan.

The main character is a guy named Carter, a writer of soft porn who lives in California. He is a good listener, so people reveal things about themselves to him. Because he knows that "life is messy", he is not judgmental. He goes to Michigan to live with his grandmother for a while.His grandmother is a quirky/confused woman who may be senile and who has an obsession with the possibility of her own impending death.Across the street lives a family named the Hardwickes. Carter is drawn into the drama of their lives. The mother, Sarah, is not happy in her marriage. Her relationship with her teenage daughter suffers from the usual poor communication/generational issues. The teenage daughter, Lucy, besides dealing with her family issues, is not very self-defined, like many teenagers. She sees a guy who may be her boyfriend.The younger daughter, Paige, is the precocious tween who hides her immaturity with her verbosity and intelligence.Carter negotiates the minefield of the Hardwickes' individual issues and their feelings for each other. In the process, he learns about himself. The story contains some tears, but the overall tone of the film is light. In the Land of Women reminds us of some basic truths: You are lucky to live, so live your life (and no one else's). You are lucky to love another. Art awakens you to real living. Jonathan Kasdan--the writer and director--is the son of Lawrence Kasdan. This film is not a copy of his father's style, but it did remind me of the superior Lawrence Kasdan film, Grand Canyon. I think father would be proud.

Carter Webb (Adam Brody) is a softcore porn writer. His famous girlfriend dumps him. He takes a break and goes to Detroit to check on his grandmother (Olympia Dukakis). He befriends the women next door. The mom (Meg Ryan) is suffering from cancer and a cheating husband. The daughter Lucy (Kristen Stewart) is angry at her mom for everything.Young Jon Kasdan is trying to inject poignancy and charm into this manufactured premise. Do people actually write porn? It sounds like a made up thing that LA writers create. And the whole relationship with mother and daughter sounds like another porn plot. Is that the connection? All the dialog have this fake idealism.The thing is I love Meg Ryan's performance when she's with Adam Brody. Kristen Stewart is once again her grumpy profound teen. She rambles through all that emo dialog. The dialog can really go from wonky childishness to fresh insightfulness.

In the Land of Women its a great little movie.I say little because it doesn't deal with anything too serious or profound, its just about human relationships,family dynamics and people in general, which happens to be my favorite kind of movie.Adam Brody plays Carter,a young soft-core porn writer who after a break-up with a famous actress uses his grandmother poor health state as an excuse to get away from L.A. and everything he knows in hopes of healing his broken heart and find some peace.He moves to suburban Detroit to take care of her and in the process he meets the Hardwicke family who lives across the street from his grandmother's house. First he bonds with the mother(Meg Ryan), and then with the daughter(Kristin Stewart) making an impact in in their lives and in the end he changes his own life as well.This charming independent movie is about ordinary people and the everyday life and some of the struggles and pains people go trough.Adam Brody was great although he always seems to be playing his character,Seth, from The O.C. I didn't mind it because it worked but I wonder if he's capable of doing something completely different,same thing goes to Kristin Stewart,she did a terrific job but she played once again an insecure and somewhat damaged character. Meg Ryan was great as well.Overall, a sweet movie and a very promising debut by director Jonathan Kasdan.7/10